Monday, July 6, 2009

How To Clip your Dog Safely And Easily!

By Cliff Stone

Mot dog owners don't view the process of clipping their pet as an art. Instead, they're trying to deal with the problem areas - scraggly hair on the feet that tracks in mud, for instance. In their efforts to get rid of undesirable hair, however, they may forget that they can accidentally hurt their pets.

When you choose to clip your dog's coat, it's important to keep breed in mind. Longer hair breeds can suffer if you clip them wrongly. Dust accumulates in the coat, and skin diseases may result. In addition, parasites may more freely breed in coats that haven't been cared for correctly.

You need to trim your dog's nails to avoid breaking, splitting, and pain while walking. That's because overlong toenails cause the nail to turn sideways, or even to dig into the foot. When a dog has claws that are too long, it becomes easy to catch them on hard surfaces or to break or split them.

Injuries also easily occur during clipping of nails. The quick of the nail will bleed it it's cut. This is the source of blood supplying the nail, as well as where the nerves are located. This keeps the nail alive and growing. However, this area is situated far back inside the nail, and will only be exposed if you cut the nail too short or if it splinters. This can be sensitive or painful.

When cutting your dog's nails and hair, make sure you always use very sharp clippers. For nails, make sure you get the right tools for the job - nail clippers for people just don't work for dogs. There are lots of new types of nail clippers out there that are made to cut down on pain and damage.

If you live in an area that's cold in winter, don't clip your dog during the cold months unless you have to. The winter can be very stressful for your dog if his coat isn't long enough to protect him. Remember that dogs can get frostbite the same way we can.

Overclipping in summer can be bad as well. It might not seem like it, but your dog's coat protects him or her and keeps the harmful rays of the sun from causing damage. It's okay to thin or shorten the coat slightly, but make sure you leave enough fur to protect your pet.

If your dog is sick or otherwise unhealthy, avoid clipping him. That's because it can cause more stress. Only clip a sick dog to remove broken nails or dirty fur that can't be cleaned.

One way to help keep your dogs nails short and health is walking her on concrete on a daily basis. This allows the nails to gradually be worn down. It naturally controls the length of the nails, keeping you and your pet from needing to deal with nail clippers.

Of course, for the best results, talk to a professional dog groomer with the experience to clip specific breeds.

About the Author:

0 comments: